Renowned US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, has issued a strongly worded open letter to the Inspector-General of Police, expressing deep concern over the arrest and prosecution of Sir-Obama Pokuase.
According to Prof. Asare, the dawn raid on Pokuase’s apartment, the Police’s public framing of the incident, the stringent ₵50,000 bail with three sureties, his overnight detention despite meeting bail conditions, and the decision to charge him under section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act raise serious questions about due process and public trust.
The Police allege Pokuase was assisting with investigations into a viral video showing individuals brandishing firearms, but at some point, this “assistance” turned into a criminal charge. Prof. Asare questioned why a dawn raid was necessary, when the “helper” became a suspect, and why the focus is on prosecuting someone who merely shared a real video instead of tracking down the people in the footage.
He drew historical parallels to Ghana’s “rumour” laws used under military regimes and later civilian governments to silence dissent, warning that section 208 is vague, subjective, and prone to political abuse. He stressed that such provisions discourage citizens from sharing crucial information that could prevent crime and protect lives.
Prof. Asare called for the IGP to clarify the shift in police stance, justify applying section 208 to a real video, ensure respect for suspects’ rights, end the abuse of bail administration, and support a review or repeal of the law. He urged the government to distance itself from questionable police actions, investigate misconduct, and abandon dictatorship-era tactics.
“We have lived this story before. We should not live it again,” he cautioned, emphasising that democracy demands protecting truth-tellers, critics, and those who hold power to account.
